India has issued a resolute and unequivocal condemnation following fresh cross-border aerial bombardments launched by the Pakistani military within civilian-inhabited zones of Afghanistan's eastern border provinces of Kunar and Paktika.

The strikes, which were carried out in the early morning hours on Monday, resulted in several civilian casualties and damaged residential buildings alongside local businesses, drawing international focus and deep concern over the escalating violence across the Durand Line.

Addressing journalists during a bi-weekly media briefing held in New Delhi on Tuesday evening, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed profound grief over the tragic loss of innocent civilian lives while wishing a speedy recovery to all those who sustained injuries during the military assault.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson firmly pointed out that such unprovoked acts of armed aggression against a sovereign neighbouring country directly violate international norms, severely endanger stability, and actively vitiate regional peace and security in South Asia.

Reaffirming India's unwavering diplomatic position, Randhir Jaiswal emphasised that New Delhi maintains steadfast and resolute support for the independence, complete sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, as well as the overall welfare and well-being of the Afghan nation.

The official Indian reaction follows disclosures by Afghan government officials and local authorities detailing the devastating impact of the bombardment across the eastern provinces, where an airstrike in the Nurgal district of Kunar province claimed the lives of three family members—a man, a woman, and a young girl—while inflicting severe injuries on four others.

In Paktika's Barmal district, two separate aerial strikes demolished a local shop and damaged a residential home, adding to the growing structural devastation reported across the immediate border region.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan subsequently confirmed the civilian fatalities in Kunar, noting with concern that cross-border armed violence has inflicted more than 1,100 civilian casualties, including deaths and injuries, across Afghanistan since the beginning of 2026.

Responding sharply to the incident, Afghan government chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid strongly denounced the offensive as a blatant crime and a repeated act of oppression against defenceless civilians residing along the frontier.

The chief spokesperson accused the Pakistani military establishment of intentionally orchestrating cross-border military strikes to deflect domestic public scrutiny away from its own persistent internal security failures, governance breakdowns, and counter-terrorism shortcomings.

In a formal statement released on social media platform X, Zabihullah Mujahid detailed that the invading Pakistani armed forces targeted civilian areas in Kunar and Paktika, resulting in the martyrdom of one woman and two men, alongside injuring two additional women and two men.

The spokesperson further warned that the Afghan people and their security apparatus would not remain silent, promising a decisive and appropriate response to Islamabad's military aggression at an opportune time.

While Afghan authorities and United Nations monitors highlighted civilian destruction, Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting claimed that its armed forces conducted selective, intelligence-based defence operations targeting three militant encampments and suicide bomber training facilities, asserting that 28 militants were neutralised.

This latest violent episode comes amidst a significant deterioration in relations between Islamabad and Kabul, marked by frequent border skirmishes, cross-border shelling, and repeatedly broken ceasefires over the past year.

Diplomatic observers note that New Delhi's swift and firm condemnation underlines its consistent policy of standing with the people of Afghanistan while calling out state-sponsored aggression that threatens the broader peace, security, and humanitarian stability of the South Asian region.

ANI